Jammu, Dec 22: J&K cabinet on Monday cleared the policy for allotment of 5 Marlas of state land for eligible people affected by floods and landslide-like natural calamities during August-September this year.
The policy will now be sent for the approval of the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.
The cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah here at the Civil Secretariat in Jammu, also approved the decision vis-à-vis infusion of Rs 118 crore for the revitalisation of Anantnag Central Co-operative Bank and Jammu Central Cooperative Bank.
As per official sources, privy to the deliberations during the meeting, besides giving directions for infusion to revive these sick banks, the cabinet also specified that a professional board would be in place for their (banks’) monitoring. “Though the board is already in place regulating their affairs, it will be further strengthened. It will also take care of their day-to-day issues or affairs,” the official sources informed.
Sources stated that the cabinet also approved the name of the new chairperson of the Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (JKBOSE) from the names recommended by the panel.
As per the sources, though the long-pending issue of regularisation of daily wagers in various government departments was not on the agenda yet it figured in the deliberations of the cabinet meeting.
The cabinet reiterated its directions to the Chief Secretary for expediting the process to complete the report of the committee headed by him (CS), constituted to look into the issue of regularisation and other related matters concerning daily wagers.
With regard to the policy of allotment of a 5-marla plot, sources pointed out that it was in alignment with the Chief Minister’s announcement.
Among other major decisions which figured in the deliberations as agenda items and cleared by the cabinet included the enhancement of the salary level of Village Level Workers (VLWs) of the Rural Development Department (RDD)and redesignation of District Panchayat Officers (DPOs).
Regarding Village Level Workers (VLWs), the sources informed that they were upgraded from level two to level four, at par with Patwaris, thus ending their discrepancies.
“Their fresh recruitment will be done as Panchayat secretary with graduation as minimum qualification,” it was revealed.
On the issue of DPOs, sources said, “After the creation of posts of Assistant Commissioner Panchayats (ACPs), DPOs’ posts were not functional in a real sense or, say, had lost their significance. So now they (DPOs) have been redesignated as Block Development Officers (BDOs), headquarters at the office of ACPs. Two posts will remain with the Directorate for further advertisements and other issues.
Besides, the cabinet also held discussions on a few issues related to the ensuing budget, central funding, CSS CSS-related issues. “The next cabinet meeting will have a major focus on budget discussions,” sources pointed out.
